An Art/Science Initiative collaboration

Alex Wand (Music PhD candidate), Alex Jones (Campus Natural Reserve Manager), and Tiffany Thedon (ENVS/Bio B.A 2021) teamed up to document the current soundscape of four locations within the potentially developable footprint of the 2021-2040 Long Range Development Plan. Mapping Sonic Futurities combines sound art, experimental cartography, and ecological research to trace the present and future histories of local ecosystems. The project involves a series of 24-hour ‘sound vigils’ in outdoor spaces and habitats with tenuous futures. During these retreats, the keeper of the vigil commits to being in one location for an entire day and night. For each of the 24 hours, they dedicate time to acts of ecologically engaged listening and sounding. This involves making field recordings of the space, performing music that responds to nearby sounds, and/or sitting in meditation with a focus on different modes of listening. All the while, they journal about these experiences. The final documentation of the sound vigil is a 10-minute video art piece where 25 second segments, representing each hour, cycle continuously starting at 8am. Read a recently published article in the Refract journal.